I write about style, art, culture, watches and high-end cars as a staff writer for Forbes. Whether I'm talking with Bernard Arnault, Jeff Koons or Ralph Lauren, my goal is to explore life from the inside, to figure out what success means to those who believe they have attained it--or are well on their way. Write to me at helliott@forbes.com. You can also follow me on Twitter (@HannahElliott), Instagram (@HannahElliottxo), Facebook and Google+.

The Cars Facebook's New Millionaires Should Buy

Rumor has it that Facebook will file documents this week for its long-awaited initial public offering.

The IPO could raise as much as $10 billion and value the social network as high as $100 billion, according to some analysts. Anything less than $75 billion will be disappointing, to say the least.

If Mark Zuckerberg and his pals do raise $10 billion, they’ll command the fourth-largest IPO in U.S. history, putting to shame Google’s $1.9 billion offering in 2004. And with only 3,000 Facebook employees to split the profits, there will be plenty of money to go around.

Let’s just say we can expect to see some big real estate deals to go down in California in the next few months–and some expensive toys parked in driveways soon thereafter. But if you want to be cool in California, not just any car will do–you’ve got to prove you’re as discerning as you are rich.

Every good Californian Cash King needs an eco-option. Elon Musk‘s $50,000 sedan will go 300 miles on one charge–and beat a Panamera off the line. Better yet, it’ll fit surf boards, TVs and large dogs in the back. And it looks way hotter than the Prius.

Recommended for: Morning commute. Taking the kids to school. Hitting Whole Foods on the way back from Soul Cycle.

The fact that this coupe comes in Dragon Red is alone asupcious enough to convince a purchase. It is the newest offering from Bentley, just debuted at the Detroit Auto show, and thanks to a new compact 4.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 more efficient than its Supersports cousin (this is environmentalist territory, after all). Look for 500 horsepower and 481 pound-feet of torque on tap–ultra-luxury with grand performance in a 21mpg-efficient package.

The convertible version of the iconic gullwing revival SLS AMG, this roadster drives like a highly trained beast. With 563 horsepower and a top speed of 197 miles per hour, it’ll handle just like the extraordinary coupé, thanks to modifications that increase the rigidity of the body (the cross-member under the dash has additional supporting struts; a structure between the soft top and the tank stiffens the rear axle). Imagine: All that neck-snapping performance plus creature comforts like neck scarfs to ward off the nighttime chill out in the desert. The car is a must-have for any self-respecting elite.

The $161,000 Audi R8 Spyder says, “I don’t need your cliche mass luxury brand to make a statement – I’m tastefully wealthy and think for myself.” Audi has been killing it lately on the branding front, with the youngest average buyer age of any luxury automaker, a star-studded roster of owners and trendy Super Bowl commercials. More importantly, its cars are designed well, offer advanced technology inside, and are smooth and fast to drive. The V10 R8 Spyder adds just one more dimension of cool to the already popular R8 coupe. It’s the perfect daily driver for someone living in the Sunshine State.

Recommended for: Saturday clubbing. Sunday brunch.

Who it will impress: Independent thinkers. Tom Brady. Daniel Craig. (They both drive the coupe version.)

This electric coupe is currently in concept form, but BMW head Ludwig Willisch says it’ll hit the market in 2014 looking “95 percent” like it does now. Richard Kim, the elegant young designer who conceived the exterior, says its revolutionary looks are just as practical as they are stunning. Best to get in line for it now, Zuckerberg.

Recommend for: Driving to dinner at Mark’s place. Showing off in general.

Who it will impress: Action stars. Design freaks. Progressive thinkers.

Lamborghini Aventador

Is it incredibly predictable for the nouveau riche to buy a gaudy monster and then flaunt it outside Nobu? Yep. So you may as well embrace the cliché with your tongue pressed firmly to your cheek. At least this 700-hp raging bull will be the latest and greatest from the Italian house. It’ll replace the Murcielago and is due out later this year. Priced around $380,000.

Jonathan Ward at ICON has been doing exciting stuff with vintage trucks and jeeps–and selling them to the world’s most adventurous business moguls–since his update of the vintage Toyota FJ Cruiser in 2007. His latest project? Bringing back the 1970s-era Ford Bronco.

The truck is based on original Ford Bronco models made from 1966 to 1977 by using the original body shell with new components underneath. Ward calls the trucks an homage to “classic styling, modern performance and timeless utility.” That’s code for “They’re really cool.” They’re also really expensive. Zuck and his boys should expect to pay above the $200,000 range.

The best way to differentiate yourself from every other joker on the strip is to show the fortitude to buy vintage. It takes more study, more introspection and more devotion to own one of these than it does to own something new–but it also proves you’ve got style. The ’70 Daytona is one of Ferrari’s best models, widely recognized as an icon for collectors. Who knows? If you hold it for a while it may even gain value–a far cry from that 20% your new ride loses the second it leaves the lot.

The car is the smallest, lightest, most fuel-efficient SUV ever produced by the British brand (it is 430 mm shorter than the Range Rover Sport and sits 180 mm lower. Land Rover executives have said to think of its size as similar to a large sedan). Yes, there are many crossovers that are larger and cheaper. But they’re simply not as cool. Get this blacked out and use it to ride with your friends. It’s a high-class urban crossover perfect for the city.

Recommend for: Hitting the town with two or three friends.

Who it will impress: Young urban professionals. Victoria Beckham (she shilled for the car when it first came out).

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I suggest totally avoiding Facebook IPO, even as a short term investment. The media’s phony hype for this data-theft/privacy invasion company will quickly wear off as people realize they have bought shares of…absolutely nothing.

Even the accounts on facebook are increasingly fake as more people realize that facebook is simply an attempt to steal personal data by corporations and ameri-israeli spy agencies. Hannah…what ethnicity is that name?

Good list. If they want thumbs up, not middle finger, invest in something classic with character not what everyone else drives. The Ferrari Daytona you mentioned is way up here in the “I gotta have it” mentality.

What about a cool little ’32 Ford Coupe hot rod with a loud tire scorching V-8, or something from the 1950′s – ’57 Vette fuelie, a big ’58 Chevy Impala, something off-the-wall like a 1960′s AMX or AMC Rebel. The neat little foreign jobs were and still are image enhancers like the Morgan, Austin Healey, Datsun 240-Z.

These cars have class, coolness and psychological positives. Buy them not just for ego but what the US industry represented last decade, (until the 70′s) – style, personality and coolness.

Those who will be billionaires owe some of their good fortune to all that horsepower.

I am in the automotive business, and although most of those cars are very nice, the more cars I drive, the more I move away from the newer cars. Yes, they are refined, fast, have a million creature comforts, but they lack soul. There is nothing like driving a 1973 BMW e9 3.0 cs. If you have never driven one. Try and get your hands on one, take it out on a nice sunny day with the windows down, and the sunroof open. Just feel the lite breeze that swirls around you as you feel the vibration from the carburetors through your hands as you grip the hand stitched leather steering wheel, or wood in some cases. There is a feeling when driving a classic like this, that none of the horse power and heated seats can ever match.

I read your bio about the idea of creating a balance between automotive and fashion, and that is actually what I am working on at the moment. A retail shop with specialty cars and high end men’s consignment, yes, a man pad. HaHa. I already have the automotive aspect down, and then next step is opening the men’s consignment within our existing retail location. We will incorporate art, clothing, furniture, electronics and specialty automotive sales and consignment. I don’t think anyone has ever done this in the United States. My automotive site is munichevo.com Let me know your thoughts. Take care.

Munichevo, that sounds like a very cool idea. The hot rod and customizing industry has done this to a degree.

Sounds like your idea will be in tune with a “mens runway” a-la-cars. Remember as you layout the biz plan – it’s all psychology when dealing with car guys. We may sound and look tough but deep down inside we are softies.

Hannah has it right because cars follow fashion and visa-versa.

For me it’s about the “psycarology”. I’ve been into cars since birth (owned over 300) and in various car businesses since 1976. I’ve learned that to succeed in this fickle industry it’s about parking cars in their mental garages. Mikey- Carisms.